Forgive? Possibly Forget? Never
by ShadowNinja12
Summary: Could Aria forgive Ezra after everything that he had done? Possibly. Could Aria forget Ezra after everything that he had done? Never.
1. Chapter 1

**Forgive? Possibly. Forget? Never.**

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**This is based on the Season 5 premiere so it may contain a few spoilers if you haven't seen the episode. **

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After what seemed like an eternity, Ezra finally found the strength to open his eyes. Once he did it took him a few minutes to remember where he was. The bed he was on wasn't his own and it smelled like soap and old people. But he only had to look down before reality hit him. It all had seemed like a dream: following Shana, getting shot, seeing Aria go ballistic as he fell to the ground on top of the roof. For a while he wasn't sure if it had really happened but once he saw the bandages and the IVs, he knew that this wasn't a dream. It was real life.

Once he confirmed that his thoughts went instantly to Aria. He vaguely remembered her being there and for some reason he also remembered Shana being with her. But it was all a blur; his mind was so fatigued and full of pain-killers that he couldn't make out the details. Had he managed to tell Aria about the danger her and her friends were in? Was she safe? Where was Shana? These questions flew through his mind but he couldn't answer them in his drug-induced state. But he needed the answers. He needed to know that Aria was okay.

Ezra tried to sit up but lay back down almost instantly as a wave of dizziness hit him, causing his vision to go black for a minute. It was torturous, knowing that the person he cared most about was somewhere out there, possibly in danger and not being able to do anything about it.

Somewhere in the room he heard a squeak from a chair as someone stood up. Slowly he managed to turn his head, expecting to see a nurse or maybe even his mom. For a split second he allowed himself to hope that it was Aria. But the person he saw was none of those.

"What are you doing here?" Ezra managed to ask, his voice quiet and scratchy which probably meant that he had been sleeping longer than he realized. The feelings of concern for Aria resurfaced with more intensity as he thought about what could have transpired in the hours since he last saw her.

"Mr. Fitz. I was wondering about the paper you assigned us last week. How long did you say the page requirement was?" Noel Kahn asked with his usual smirk.

Ezra gave him his best 'haha really funny' look. "I resigned from Rosewood High a few days ago." Noel opened his mouth to reply, most likely with another smart remark, but Ezra continued before he could say anything else. "How long have you been here?"

Noel finally gave up his act and sat down in the chair that was next to the bed. "I've been here off and on for three days. Your mom arrived two days ago and she has been here as well. Right now she's grabbing something to eat somewhere downtown. She said that she wouldn't eat hospital food if her life depended on it so she's going to some ritzy place downtown. Your brother is sleeping in the lobby. He's been here as long as I have."

Three days. He had been asleep for at least three days. What if Aria and her friends were locked in a basement whilst getting tortured by Shana? What if Ali was dead? What if _she_ was dead?

The cocky high school jock seemed to know exactly what was on his former teacher's mind. "I'm not going to tell anyone, man. Not anymore."

"Where is she?" Ezra was almost scared to hear the answer. If she hadn't made it and Shana had carried through with her plans then he could never forgive himself.

"She's in Rosewood. As with the rest of them, including Ali. I'm stationed here by their orders."

"And she's safe?"

"Safe, yes. Okay, maybe not so much."

Ezra's eyebrows shot up. "What happened?"

Noel bit the inside of his lip. "Sorry, dude. That's not for me to tell. I'm actually going to go call Ali who said for me to keep her posted." He walked out of the door just as Wes was walking in.

"Ezra. You're alive. How are you feeling?" his younger brother asked as he sat in the chair that Noel had previously occupied.

"Groggy. Numb. Wes, what happened? How's Aria?" Ezra was thankful that Wes was here and not his mother who would rant at him about Aria and how she was ruining his life and how she had almost made him die and how she was going to have some serious words with her. Wes knew Aria and he would know imminently more about the situation.

"I talked to her this morning. She called to see how you were doing. We only talked for a little bit but from what I gathered she is really worried and really, really angry. What did you do?"

"That's irrelevant right now. How is she? Like, personally how is she?"

He saw the same reaction that Noel had had come across his brother's face. He shut his mouth and bit his lip indicating that he had been given the same instructions as Noel had. "She told us not to say anything about that. She just wants you focused on getting better."

Ezra let out a long breath. Of course Aria would tell them not to say anything. She would be there in a split second to help him with his struggles but would lock hers away behind an iron gate and not share with him what she was going through. That's how it had always been and it hurt him because he wanted to be there for her. She was so strong yet she broke so easily inside. The problem was that Aria had always had a really good poker face.

"Wes, I'm not concerned about me. What happened while I was out?"

Just then a nurse bustled in with a tray of food. Ezra was once again annoyed at how impeccable some people's timing was. This lady was like Mrs. Welsh who always seemed to know just when the worst time to walk in was. Wes would now have an excuse to not answer and would most likely leave.

"The doctor wanted to speak with you when you woke up. I brought this for you to eat and he will be in shortly." Then, turning to Wes, she said, "I'm going to need you to step out for a while."

Wes agreed instantly, relieved that he wouldn't have to either destroy Aria's trust nor make his brother mad at him.

Ezra glared Wes down as he turned and walked out. Something had obviously happened. Aria was somehow involved, as she normally was. He wanted, no he needed, to be there with her, wherever there was. He needed to know that she was okay. Yet he could do nothing, and it hurt more than the bullet did.

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**So I guess this is going to have a few other chapters. Please read and tell me what you think**


	2. Chapter 2

**Forgive? Possibly. Forget? Never.**

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**This is based on the Season 5 premiere so it may contain a few spoilers if you haven't seen the episode.**

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Aria had always found it crazy that you can be somewhere without actually being there, in terms of mental and physical awareness. For example, she – physically – was in Rosewood yet mentally she was in New York reliving that night for what was the umpteenth time.

Ezra got shot. She killed somebody. Ali came back. She killed somebody. Ezra wanted to win her back. She killed somebody. Cece had escaped police custody. She killed somebody. Ezra was alive. She killed somebody.

By far that night had been the most emotionally intense thing of her life. There was the whole dealio with Ezra where he almost died, but from what Wes and Noel were saying, he was going to be okay. Then there was the thing with A, or maybe it wasn't even A, in the park that her friends recounted to her, but that was over as well. And then there was the thing with Shana.

If her life was a book, Shana would be the ultimate plot twist. Aria never saw that coming, not after seeing how she helped Ali for so long. When Ezra had whispered that in her ear she was shocked, but shocked was the new normal for her. Somehow life always managed to throw twist after twist until she had just tangled herself into a knot.

Seeing that whole scenario play out from behind the dark-clad Shana was eye-opening to just how warped love can be and how much people truly hated Ali. While Aria could understand where they were coming from, she couldn't understand how they could ever consider taking someone's life.

She had done it. It wasn't a feeling that she would wish on anyone.

Aria knew that Shana was only seconds away from pulling the trigger and ending Ali's life, for real this time. And Aria knew that Shana would also blow Emily, Spencer, and Hanna's heads off as well because they were witnesses. She did what she had to do but at the time was unsure of what the consequences would be. It was one of those times when she jumped in without a plan, acting purely on the instinct to protect those you care about just like Ezra had done for her earlier that night.

In a matter of seconds the whole thing was done. Shana had fallen off of the stage, hit her head on the music stands, and the blood was seeping out of the head wound. She watched wide-eyed as Emily checked the pulse to find that there was none.

Aria knew that she had acted for the right reasons, but that didn't lessen the numbness that she felt as she realized that because of her Shana was gone forever; what had happened was irreversible. She would never swim or laugh or see the love of her life again. She would never get married, never get to tell her parents goodbye, never see her hometown in Georgia again. Because of Aria. Because of her.

Those thoughts haunted her continuously. It had been three days since the event had occurred and she thought of Shana in all 259,200 of the seconds that had passed. Her lifeless body was everywhere to Aria. In her sleep. In her cereal bowl. On the floor of the Brew. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't get over the fact that she was now a killer.

Ezra never left her mind either. She saw him lying in his hospital bed, his eyes close and his body void of any movement expect for the rhythmic rising and falling of his chest. If it was possible she would be there with him but between the police interrogations and the worried parents and the fact that he was in a different state, there was no logistical way that she could.

But she wanted to be so badly. She wanted to hold his hand and to be there when he woke up and to be the first to know the day that he could come home. Despite all that had gone on, she missed him like crazy and needed him to hold her in his arms and tell her that it would be alright. He alone had the power to make her forget about her problems. He alone had the capability of making her feel safe and at home.

"Aria? Aria?"

After thirteen times, Spencer's voice finally cut through her thoughts. "What?"

"Your food is going to fall off of your plate."

Aria looked down and realized that she had been pushing her noodles around with her fork and some were dangerously close to falling onto Spencer's expensive furniture. She quickly set the plate down and apologized.

Spencer sat on the other side of the couch watching her intelligent brown eyes. Not many things could slip her notice. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just worrying about Ezra." Aria replied quickly, not wanting her friend to know just how terrified of her actions she truly was. She had been asked that same question by the same people so many times that she was starting to get annoyed, yet she knew the validity of the question. Even she wasn't sure if she was okay. She needed Ezra.

Spencer continued scrutinizing her as Aria once again retreated to her thoughts. They had been best friends for so long that she could read her like a book. Aria was really struggling. No matter how many times Spencer tried to help or get her to talk about it, she would always pull back into her shell.

Emily should be the one with her now. Spencer knew that; she couldn't relate to what Aria was going through but Emily could. She had had similar feelings when she killed Maya's pretend cousin. But Emily hadn't really left Ali's side. She'd only been back for three days yet they were all on planet Alison again, and Emily was the lap dog that jumped at the queen's bidding.

Besides for Emily, she knew of only one other person that could get through to the small brunette. And he was in New York on a hospital bed with a healing wound that he acquired while defending them. Spencer also knew how ardently Aria had hated him just five days ago. She couldn't begin to comprehend all of the mixed emotions that must be going through her mind at that moment. She was honestly surprised that Aria held it together as well as she was. Actually she wasn't that surprised; Aria had always had a really good poker face.

The question was what to do? What would relieve Aria from the guilt that was eating at her? Again, Spencer thought of only one idea. Ezra. She knew what she had to do.

"Aria, why don't you call it a night? You can crash here."

Once again it took her a few seconds to even register what Spencer had said. "Umm, yeah. Let me just call Wes." She reached for her phone that was on the coffee table in front of them.

Spencer leaned across and placed her hand on Aria's. "You called him ten minutes ago. He told you that he was fine. Nothing will have changed. Go to bed."

Reluctantly Aria agreed and walked slowly up the stairs. Her steps were heavy, more like a weary mother's than a high school girl's. Once Aria had gone Spencer quickly pulled her phone out of her pocket and typed in the number that she had memorized whilst watching Aria call it so many times.

It rang for almost a full minute and Spencer was wondering if he was going to answer at all.

"Hello?" Wes's voice was tired and showed that he was more than a little sleep-deprived.

"Wesley. Hi."

"Who is this?"

"I'm Spencer Hastings, Aria's friend. How much does Ezra know?"

Wesley was still confused as to why he was receiving a call from her. "Umm, just that she's okay. We haven't told him anything about what happened because she asked us not to."

"I'm going to bring her there tomorrow afternoon."

Spencer could almost hear the boy raise his eyebrow. "I thought that your parents aren't letting you go anywhere."

"Wesley. Aria is falling apart, and the only one that can help her is your older brother. Plus, who listens to their parents these days anyways?"

"Was that a rhetorical question?"

Spencer rolled her eyes. Sometimes boys lacked brains. Actually, most of the time boys lacked brains. "Yeah. Just giving you a heads up, okay? And don't tell him. I want it to be a surprise."

"Alright. I'm really glad she's coming; Ezra hasn't stopped asking about her. And I keep dodging his questions. He misses her."

"She misses him. Hardcore. I'll see you tomorrow." Then she ended the call without waiting for his response.

The girl's had all been given strict orders by their parents to stay in Rosewood. Though they didn't know all of the details (courtesy of Ali's lies), they knew that something had gone on that they weren't being told. But Spencer was willing to break whatever rules necessary to insure her friend's happiness. They couldn't have team Sparia when half of it was barely holding herself together.

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**Please review and tell me what you think. There will be Ezria next chapter but I wanted to show what Aria was going through after she killed Shana and I also wanted a little Team Sparia which is always good:)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Forgive? Possibly. Forget? Never.**

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**This is based off of the Season Five premiere so it may contain some spoilers if you haven't seen the episode.**

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Wesley Fitzgerald had money, looks, and natural charm. Some would think that he had it all, but he would strongly disagree with them. He never had love, at least not the way Aria and Ezra did. And he envied his brother because of it. Ezra had left home early, got a wonderful job and a beautiful girlfriend, and he managed to do it by himself. He had found a way to escape his mother's controlling grasp. He didn't owe anything to anyone because everything he had he earned. His fate rested completely on him, not on his mother.

Wes had been sleeping in the hospital for four days now and there wasn't a second where Ezra wasn't asking about the small brunette who he risked his life for. It really made for awkward conversation because no one would answer any of his questions. It was driving Ezra completely crazy.

His phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket, recognizing the number that appeared as Spencer Hastings. He opened the text message and quickly read it. 'We're just leaving. Be there in a few hours. Don't tell him.' Sighing, he slipped it back into his pocket. He now had to wait.

"Who was that?" Noel Kahn asked from a few seats over.

"Spencer." He replied, not telling him of the content of the text.

"Are you friends?"

He shook his head. "I've never met her."

"Huh, I just thought that maybe Aria and Mr. Fitz had introduced you." Noel was a few years younger than Wesley, but there was something that was a little off about him. He had been here almost as much as he had, but Wes never really understood why. From what he gathered, Noel was one of Ezra's English students and he was somehow involved with the girls. They seemed to trust him, but Wesley didn't.

"No. I only know Aria."

Noel nodded, staring at the wall of the waiting area. "I never knew how complex those girl's lives are until I started helping Ali. I now understand why they were always so jumpy."

Wes thought back on the brief story that Aria told him over the phone. She filled him in with enough details to know the background of Shana and Ali and what not. He couldn't help agreeing with Noel. Those girls had been through more than any teenager should ever have to. He had no clue how any of them slept at night. "Yeah, it would stink to be them."

The two lapsed into silence, both watching the second hand as it slowly ticked around the clock.

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Spencer glanced over from the driver's seat and saw Aria nervously chewing on her lip. Her hazel eyes were looking out of the front window, but it didn't appear like she was seeing anything. "What's up?"

Aria pulled her gaze from the window and turned to look at her friend. "I don't want to tell him about what happened with Shana. He has enough to worry about."

Spencer smiled. "Aria, all Ezra's worried about is you. Wes told me that he hasn't stopped asking about you."

Aria's eyebrows shot up. "Wes? When were you talking to him?"

"Doesn't matter. What does matter is that Ezra is worried about you and until you tell him what's going on, he's not going to stop worrying which is going to cause an ulcer rather than make him better."

"What he doesn't know won't kill him. I'll just tell him part of what happened." Aria said, already determined to leave the fact that she killed Shana out of it.

Spencer shook her head slightly. "Aria, if you ever want to have your relationship with Ezra back than you are going to need to start telling each other the truth. All of it."

That thought had crossed Aria's mind. She wanted more than anything else to have their relationship back. She wanted those Saturdays in his apartment and the classroom conversations. But telling him the truth could harm him more than it could help. She didn't want him mixed up in the A mess as that's what got him shot in the first place. But she also saw the sense in what Spencer was saying. Ezra had to start telling her the complete truth or there was no way she was ever going to trust him again, and it only seemed fair if she reciprocated the gesture.

"I'll tell him, just once he gets out of the hospital."

Now Spencer was the one raising her eyebrows. "Aria, you realize that you should be the one to tell him. Not anyone else. It'll be all over the papers when he returns to Rosewood."

Aria just nodded in response. She knew. They had just reached the outskirts of the city and there were plenty of things to look at but Aria kept her eyes on her hands that were twisting in her lap. This city had too many memories.

The hospital was quite busy. People were moving here and there, some crying, others smiling. It took a minute but they finally found the recovery wing.

Noel and Wes were sitting on the orange waiting chairs, Noel reading a magazine and Wes looked like he might be asleep. Upon further inspection, they found that he was out of it and Spencer shook his shoulder until he woke up.

"Oh, hi. You're here." He said with a yawn.

"Yeah, I said we would be. Is anyone in there?" She asked, gesturing towards B-123.

Wes looked confused. He must have been out of it for a while. Noel answered instead, "He's been sleeping all morning. But he should be waking up soon, just judging from his previous sleeping habits. Aria, are you okay? You look like you've killed someone or something."

Spencer instantly glared at him. "That was totally not funny, Noel."

He actually looked chagrined once he saw Aria's hollow eyes when she looked at him and he realized just how hard she was taking the whole situation. "I'm sorry, Aria. I really am. That wasn't funny, I know."

"Ezra's missed you Aria. I don't think he's talked about anything but you, and I mean that literally. I'm a little tired of it, actually. Go see him." Wesley cut in, trying to change the topic.

Aria nodded, turned, and started walking slowly towards his room. Part of her hoped that he would be awake so that she could see his blue eyes again, and part of her hoped that he would be asleep so she could delay the conversation that was inevitably coming.

The room was still, the only noise coming from the steady beeping of various machines. His eyes were closed and she approached the bed slowly, watching his sleeping face the whole time. He seemed so peaceful and she sat quietly onto the chair next to the bed.

Just being this close to him calmed her down. Somehow even in his sleep he managed to slow her breathing down to a normal level. For once Shana was off of her mind and the guilt she felt was bearable.

It was a perfect moment, but it was only a moment because her phone went off. She tried to shut it off before he woke up but his eyes were already open. "Aria?" he asked softly reaching to gently touch her cheek so that he knew that he wasn't dreaming. She placed her hand over his and held it there.

"Hi." She replied with a soft smile. "How are you feeling?"

Ezra took his hand back and tried to get up into a sitting position but cringed noticeably in the process. Aria pressed his shoulders back onto the bed, worried about the pain that she indirectly caused. "Just lay down."

He did as directed and laid his head on the pillow. "You're here."

"Yeah. And you're okay." Aria once again took his hand. It felt so right and so safe, a feeling that was very hard to come across in the mess of a life that she lived.

"How are you?" He asked, the concern apparent in his eyes. "What happened?"

Aria quickly told him what happened the rest of that night, leaving out that she killed Shana or that she was even dead at all. She didn't tell him that Mrs. DiLaurentis had gone missing or that she had hardly been out of the police station for the past couple of days.

He listened intently but he knew Aria too well to believe that that was the whole truth. She hadn't told him everything but he wasn't going to push her. She would open up when she was ready to. But quite a few of his questions were answered.

Once he found out that everyone was safe, he allowed himself to relax and just enjoy her company. He had missed her so much that it hurt, and words couldn't describe how sorry he was about everything that had transpired. "Aria, I'm so sorry. I-."

Aria quickly cut him off, placing her fingers on his mouth. "We can talk about that later. Right now all that matters is that you're okay."

"And that you're okay. Why didn't you call?"

"I did call. Probably four or five times a day."

"Wes didn't tell me that."

Aria unconsciously rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb as she watched him, their eyes never leaving each others. "I told him not to."

He looked almost hurt. "Aria, why? You should've known that I'd be worried."

"I did. But I wanted you focused on getting better. You had already taken a bullet for me. The least I could do is give you some space to heal."

"You know there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you, Aria. Your safety and happiness is all that matters to me."

Aria smiled again, not the full-fledged smile that Ezra loved so much, but it was still one that reached her eyes. "Yeah. I know."

"Aria, can you slip away for like an hour? Hanna just called and we need to talk." Then looking at Ezra, "We'll be back in a little while."

He nodded, a little disappointed that she was leaving but so happy that she had came. "Thanks Spencer." He still found it a little weird that he was in a position where his English students were visiting him in a hospital after he had taken a bullet defending four of them. It certainly wasn't where he imagined himself at this state, but he also wouldn't trade it for anything. Aria was by far the best thing that ever happened to him.

Aria stood up and squeezed his hand before letting it go. She placed a quick kiss on his cheek and then joined Spencer outside of the room.

Ezra watched through the doorway as Spencer said something to her and he saw Aria's eyes widen and her hand fly up to her mouth. The two then walked out of view, leaving him alone in the unfriendly hospital room.

He laid his head back down on the pillow, thinking over everything that Aria had said and all that Aria didn't say, trying to read between the lines to decipher the information she left out. When she returned he would try to talk to Spencer. She was Aria's closest friend and maybe she would tell him why Aria looked like she hadn't slept in two months.

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**That's chapter three! Ezra will find out next chapter what really happened that night so please review and I'll update soon:)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Forgive? Possibly. Forget? Never. **

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**This is based on the Season Five premiere so if you haven't seen the episode it might contain spoilers. **

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What Spencer had said was still blowing Aria's mind even half an hour later. It was unexpected. It was horrific. And it was de je vu.

Someone should have seen it coming. She was a witness; she saw who did it. And knowing that Ali was alive gave her a reason to tell the secret that she had been keeping since her daughter had supposedly died. Whoever was guilty couldn't let that slip out and quickly took measures to cut off the only other person who knew the truth.

Mrs. DiLaurentis had been found dead in their backyard. From the looks of it she had been buried alive.

"How's Ali?" Aria asked.

Hanna who was on the other end of the phone replied, "I haven't seen Ali. Emily was the first to know and she just texted me. They've blocked it all off and I haven't been able to get close enough to see. The whole family, well except for Jessica of course, is together."

"Do they have any idea of when it happened?" Spencer was still reeling and wondering how this scenario hadn't occurred to her. If she had thought about it, it would have been painstakingly obvious and maybe Ali wouldn't have to return home to find that her mother had suffered the same fate that she almost had.

Hanna told them to wait one second as she weaved through the crowds of people that were gathered. It was too congested and noisy to hear what Spencer and Aria were saying. Once she was a safe distance away she put the phone back to her ear. "I think they said that she's been there for at least a couple of days."

"It probably happened while we were here in New York. Ali said that her mom saw who it was. If Ali came home Mrs. D would have probably spilled the beans because she didn't want Ali in more danger." Spencer said. It all made perfect sense in her mind. Perfect, tragic sense.

"You're in New York?" Hanna wrinkled her eyebrows.

Aria rolled her eyes. "We told you we were coming here this morning."

After thinking about it, Hanna remembered that they had had that conversation. "Oh, right. How's Mr. Fitz?"

"He's fine. Noel said that the doctor's said that he was healing really well and should be able to go home sometime in the next week." Spencer answered. She had gotten the details from Noel while Aria was in there.

"That's good. It looks like something's going on so I'll call you guys later. There's no need to come back; there's not much that we can do at this point. I'll text you if anything else happens. Hold on a second." Hanna said as she took her phone from her ear watching the approaching mother until she was just five feet in front of her.

"Mrs. Montgomery. Hello." If she remembered correctly, Aria and Spencer had told their parents that they were with her. And here she was, alone.

"Hi. I thought Aria said that she and Spencer were going to your house."

Hanna quickly flashed a smile as she thought of an alibi. "Umm, yeah. They were here a minute ago but they decided to go back. We didn't eat lunch so they were starving. I think Aria even said that she was wasting away from lack of nourishment."

Ella Montgomery gave Hanna a strange look. "Aria said that she was wasting away from lack of nourishment? That doesn't really sound like her."

Hanna replied quickly by saying, "Well, people aren't really the same when they're hungry."

Back in New York Spencer and Aria listened in amusement and slight worry as Hanna covered for them. She really just needed to stop talking. After a few more questions, Aria's mom walked away and Hanna started talking to them again. "Sorry. Aria, when did your mom start becoming an investigator?"

Spencer smiled. "You mean an interrogator?"

"Yeah. Same diff."

Aria snorted in slight derision. "When she found out I was dating my teacher, and then when she found out about A, and then when she got back from her trip with Zack, and then after we returned from New York with our friend who had been dead for two years."

"Okay, Aria, I get it. I've really got to go. Talk to you guys later."

"Bye." Spencer and Aria said at the same time. They were silent as Spencer put her phone back into her pocket and they started walking back to the hospital, both lost in her own thoughts.

At that point Aria decided that she was just going to move to California, finish senior year in a school that had all girl teachers, and never use a cell phone again. It seemed like an easier alternative to living in Rosewood, Pennsylvania where she and her friends could win an award for appearing in the newspaper the most times.

* * *

Ezra was reading a book that Noel had found at some bookstore nearby. It was about a scandalous relationship between a woman and her history professor so he figured that it wasn't a random pick. However, it was all that he currently had.

The door opened and Ezra immediately thought that it was Aria returning since it had been almost an hour. "Aria, hi."

"Aria? She was here?" The voice wasn't Aria's. It was his mother's.

Ezra closed his eyes instantly. His mother definitely wasn't Aria's biggest fan. "I thought you had to go to Philadelphia for the day."

"That trip got cancelled. You never answered my question. Was she here?"

"Yes, she was."

Instantly Diane Fitzgerald went off on a tangent. Ezra really wasn't surprised. "Aria is your student Ezra. She's a minor. I thought that you would realize how toxic your relationship was and get out by yourself. I guess I'll have to do it myself."

Ezra clenched his jaw. "You will not do anything or say anything to Aria. I won't let you hurt her."

"Ezra! You're not listening. One day you are going to get in a fight or something and she's going to blow her top and tell an authority. And then you go to jail. You can't do that, not after everything you've done to get to where you are. She's a stupid, ignorant young girl who will forget about you the moment that she graduates."

Keeping his temper in check while his mother insulted Aria was near impossible. "Mom! You're not listening. I love her. There is nothing that you can do to change that." He also wanted to add that they had just gotten into a huge fight and she still hadn't told the principle, but he didn't because that open a whole new can of worms about how dramatic or naïve Aria was, which couldn't be further from the truth.

"Aria's probably slept with half of the boys in her grade, as well as anyone else who's up for it. She just wants your money." Diane was pacing back and forth as she continued to come up with as many rotten words as possible and use them in a sentence. Ezra tried to cut in numerous times but his mom kept rolling right over his objections.

Finally, he just shouted. "Stop!" She did, a little surprised at his anger. Ezra didn't normally explode. He had always been pretty level-headed. "Aria is the most important thing in my life. So either stop insulting her or leave. And don't come back if you do because she will always be a part of my life. She's not going anywhere and if she does I'll follow her."

"You would not. You can tell yourself that you will but when it comes right down to it you won't."

"Actually, I would. And this hole in my side is a witness of it. I would give my life in a second if it meant saving hers."

His mother stopped pacing and looked at him. She hadn't heard that he got shot while protecting her. She didn't have anything else to say, so she decided to throw in her strongest weapon. "You saved her life than she turned around and took someone else's. She killed someone. Do you want to have to tell your future children that their mother was responsible for taking somebody's life?"

"What?" Ezra's voice revealed his shock.

Diane smirked. "Her name was Shana. She pushed her off of the stage of our theater and she hit her head. The police found her dead on the floor, and Aria and her friends were gone by then."

Ezra was still processing what his mother had just told him. Aria had killed Shana. That would definitely explain a few things like her appearance.

He needed Aria at that moment. Not to yell at her but to comfort her. Her compassionate heart would take that really hard. He needed to tell her that it was all right and hold her while she cried. He needed to be there for her.

"Leave." The wealthy woman's smirk left her face. "I said leave. And I honestly don't care if I ever see you again."

"You don't realize what you're getting yourself into. That girl is messed up."

He shook his head, his mouth set in a firm line. "The really messed up one here is you. Leave. Before I call someone and make you."

She glared at him as she grabbed her purse off a table and stormed out.

Wesley came in a few seconds after. "What was that all about?"

Ezra ignored his little brother's question. "Where's Aria?"

Wes looked a little skeptical. "Why? Dude, don't get mad at her. She has enough on her plate."

"Yeah, I'm aware."

"She told you?" Wes was worried. He made a mental note to now get stuck in the middle of things next time something like this happened.

"Mom did. Where is she?"

"Hey…" Spencer said from the doorway but let it trail off when she saw the tender look that Ezra was giving Aria. After a moment, she finally realized that she wasn't needed there. Spencer grabbed Wesley's arm and started to pull it towards the door. "We're just gonna go now."

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**Ezra found out! Although it wasn't how he expected that going. Next chapter we'll see how he reacts and whether or not Aria will open up. Please review and I'll update soon:)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Forgive? Possibly. Forget? Never.**

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**This is based on the Season 5 premiere so if you haven't seen the episode it might contain spoilers.**

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Aria watched Spencer and Wesley as they walked to the waiting room. Spencer looked back and gestured for her to go in. For a minute the two girls were engaged in a silent battle using only facial expressions and hand gestures. Eventually Spencer won and Aria finally relented and turned back to Ezra.

He still had that same look in his eyes that Aria couldn't explain. It was soft yet fierce, which are two very contrasting things. She wasn't sure what to make of it. She was indecisive about whether to go closer or to high-tail it back to Rosewood.

Ezra watched her stand uncertainly near the door. He didn't say anything, just continued to look at her with the same intense gaze.

Never had he been more amazed by this slightly small brunette with the huge heart. He had known that she was strong, but to have gone through what she did and then still be able to smile and hold herself together was a feat like none other he had ever witnessed.

Normally after finding out your girlfriend was responsible for the death of another, one would be a little hesitant. However, their relationship was anything but normal. Ezra loved her even more.

"Aria." He said her name softly. It was almost more of a whisper than an actual word.

Her eyes softened a little bit and her mouth formed into a small smile. "Hi." Ezra's change of emotion was surprising. Before she could see his concern, but now she could feel it as well. Whatever emotion he was experiencing was so strong that it was palpable in the small hospital room.

"We need to talk." Ezra stated simply. That too surprised her; she had always thought that that was going to be her line. It was he that had screwed everything up. She should be the one to demand a conversation.

"I agree." Aria approached the bedside slowly, cautiously. "How much do you know?"

"I know enough, but I want you to tell me, Aria. Talk to me like you used to in my apartment. I'm here for you."

His comment sparked a snarky reply. "Last time I talked to you about what was going on, you wrote it all down for your book."

Her response made him cringe a little, but he couldn't pretend that he didn't deserve it. "I know Aria, and it was the stupidest thing that I ever did. What else can I do to prove how sorry I am, because I'd do it in a heartbeat? I'm sorry. Please believe me."

Aria thought about this for a moment. She didn't doubt that he really meant what he was saying, but she still didn't know if she could forgive him. "I believe you."

"I promise that I will be completely honest with you from here on out, whether we are together or just friends. But I need you to do the same with me. Will you tell me what happened?"

Taking a deep breath, Aria sat down on the chair next to him. He used the buttons on the hospital bed to raise it so that he was in mort of a sitting position where he could hear her better.

Recounting the experience was going to be difficult. She still hadn't told anyone out loud what had happened, and finding the words to do so would be a challenge. She didn't feel like she was ready to tell him, but she also didn't think that she would ever be ready. So she just started, telling everything about that night down to the nitty gritty details.

She told him about their plan to get A away from the hospital and the flash mob at the park. She told him about Shana first showing up and then disappearing after Ezra saw her. She told him about how her friends were crashing at his theater and that Ali had apparently stayed there before. She told him about getting to the theater as fast as possible after Ezra whispered that in her ear.

Until that point, Aria had been able to keep her emotions in check, but Ezra saw in her expression that this was where it got hard for her. He reached for her hand which she let him take.

Then she continued, slower this time. "When I walked in Shana had the gun pointed at Ali's head. They were talking about Jenna. Spencer, Hanna, and Emily all tried reasoning with her, but she threatened to blow their heads off." The first of the tears just started to spill over, slowly rolling down her cheeks.

"She was about to pull the trigger. I couldn't just let her shoot Ali." The tears started coming faster, trailing down her face until they splashed onto their joined hands. Ezra never took his eyes off of her. He wanted to let her stop, to just hold her until she forgot about it all, but he knew that coming to face the fact and saying it out loud was essential if she ever really was going to get over it.

"I grabbed a gun that was on set and called her name. She spun around and I hit the gun that she had. It fired and hit the lights and then I pushed her. She fell, hitting her head on some music stands. When she hit the ground her eyes were closed. Emily went to check her pulse, and, and…" Aria shuddered, a sob escaping her lips. "And there was none. She was dead. I killed her."

Aria had to stop as she was overcome with the emotions that that night had produced. Her body shook as she cried, letting all of it out. Without any thought, Ezra slid over to make room for her next to him. If Aria was in full possession of herself at that point she probably would have resisted based on the shaky position of their relationship at the current moment, but she wasn't.

She slid into the bed next to him and laid her head on his shoulder, letting him put his arm around her and pull her even closer. He kissed her forehead and neither said anything as Aria regained composure.

"She's dead because of me, Ezra. She's never going to see Jenna again. She's never going to swim again. She's not even going to finish high school. Her family didn't even get to say goodbye." Aria's voice was no more than a whisper.

Ezra didn't know what to say. Everything that Aria had said was true. Saying that Shana deserved it made him sound like he wasn't concerned. Telling her that there was no other way was also not going to cut it because there probably was something else that she could have done. So he stayed quiet, waiting to see if she would say anything else.

"The guilt is breaking me, Ezra. I can hardly live with myself. I know that it was in self-defense but I can't get her off of my mind." She shuddered again and he gently rubbed her arm to calm her down. He wished so badly that he could take all of the pain away from her. He wanted so much for her to smile and be light-hearted again. He yearned to kiss her lips and tell her how much he loved her.

"If you can't live with yourself then you can always come and live with me." He said trying to lighten the mood a little bit.

She lifted her head off of his shoulder so that she could glare at him. "I'm being completely serious Ezra. I can hardly stand myself. Why are you joking around?"

"I'm not."

Her large hazel eyes widened at what he was suggesting. They'd always talked about moving in together, even though he had never actually made the offer. But it was the worst possible time that he could have said it. "You really are a jerk, Ezra. You can't just spring that on me while I'm only barely managing to maintain sanity." She sat up straight and pulled away from his grasp. "Why do you have to complicate things even more?"

"I'm sorry Aria. Forgive me?" He asked with a completely solemn expression. It took her back to that night in the car when he had asked the same thing. She suddenly became very aware of how close they were but she couldn't take her gaze off of his lips.

"No."

Ezra leaned a little closer. "Forgive me?" his voice was so low that it was barely audible.

Aria slightly shook her head, knowing that if he came any closer her resolve would weaken and she would finally give in. "No."

One last time, Ezra inched forward until there was hardly any space in between them. "Forgive me?"

In her head she cursed him for being so irresistible, but her lips eagerly met his. They kissed for the first time since that day on the ski lift. It wasn't a long kiss, but it felt so right, so full of promise. When they pulled back, Ezra used his thumb to wipe the tears off of her cheeks. Aria laid her head back onto his shoulder and they stayed that way in silence for a while. "I missed you." She finally said.

"I missed you too." Ezra replied, kissing her forehead softly and gently stroking her hair until her breathing became long and even. Once he was sure that she was asleep he kissed the top of her head again. "I love you, Aria Montgomery."

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**I don't know about you guys but this is one of my favorite chapters. I had a lot of fun writing it. Please review and tell me what you think! It means a lot:)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Forgive? Possibly. Forget? Never. **

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**This is based on the Season Five premiere so if you haven't seen the episode it might contain some spoilers.**

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The position that Spencer Hastings was in was awkward, to say the least. To her right was Noel Kahn. They had never been the best of friends and were, at times, quite the opposite. To her left sat Wesley Fitzgerald. He was a nice guy, from what she could tell, but they didn't really have anything to talk about. Spencer tried making light conversation about colleges and schools but quickly gave up after they had worn that subject out.

Never in a million years would she think that she would be sitting next to her English teachers little brother while her best friend was in room B-123 recounting the night when she killed someone. And out of the five of them, the one that she thought would earn the title of killer next was herself, not Aria. Aria was too sweet and to loving to have to go through this.

It all just goes to show that life isn't always what you think it will be. You have expectations of a perfect senior year full of parties and dances, not to be hunting down a friend who you thought was dead for two years. You have expectations to be studying and getting ready for college, not to be wondering if you will actually live long enough to make it there.

Spencer had had her life planned out since before she could even walk. She would go through school with nothing but straight As. She would become president of as many clubs as possible and completely drown herself in AP classes. When she wasn't studying she would be intensively training for her field hockey games. After she graduated she would attend UPenn, just like her parents and older sister had done.

The life she was currently living didn't exactly coincide with what she had imagined. It seemed that whenever something good started happening, life would throw in another plot twist and everything would be upturned again. Sometimes Spencer swore that life itself hated her.

She let out a sigh and glanced up at the clock. Aria had been in there for three hours. Outside the sunlight was dimming and the neon lights were increasing indicating that nighttime was approaching. They ought to get going so that they could make it home before Hanna had to talk to one of their parents again or she would certainly give something away.

Noel stirred when Spencer stood up. "What's going on?"

"I'm going to go see if Aria's ready to leave. We should probably head back to Rosewood." She whispered. Wesley was asleep and so were a few other people around. Apparently she wasn't the only one who found the lobby extremely boring.

He nodded, still half asleep. "Alright. Can you tell Ali when you get there that I'm sorry about her mom? She hasn't been answering my calls since they found out."

Spencer agreed and then walked over to room B-123. What she found when she looked inside caused her heart to melt a little.

Aria was asleep against Ezra's shoulder. It was evident that she had been crying judging by her tear-stained cheeks, but at the moment she seemed so peaceful. Spencer hadn't seen her so relaxed since before the night with Ezra on the ski lift.

Ezra slowly stroked her hair while looking at the wall in front of him. His eyes that he was thinking about something rather than really reading the poster about safety precautions. Occasionally he would whisper something about how much he loved her or about how beautiful she was for no other reason than the fact that he could. Aria couldn't deny his compliments in her sleep.

Spencer stood in the doorway and just watched the couple for a few minutes, thinking back to the day in Hanna's hospital room when Aria first told them about her relationship with a current teacher. Spencer's initial reaction was disgust and surprise. How could Aria pursue something so illegal? And how could she manage to keep it a secret for so long, since Labor Day even? She never thought that it was going to work.

She thought about all of the disapproval the two received from various people. Aria's dad didn't trust her to go to the library without sending his wife as an escort. Dianne Fitzgerald had offered her money to stay away. Kid's spread rumors around the school about Aria being a slut or a whore. Principal Hackett watched Aria like a hawk, noticing every time she so much as glanced at the young English teacher. The only ones who really understood were them, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily.

But anyone who saw what Spencer was seeing couldn't deny the love that the two shared, especially if they knew a little back story like Spencer did. Even after everything Ezra did, their love was still there. It truly amazed her. Though the relationship was scandalous, illegal, and highly unprofessional on his part, it was one of the most perfect examples of true love that Spencer had ever seen, even in books.

When her eyes drifted to the small window she finally remembered her purpose for entering in the first place. But how could she disturb them? Aria deserved all of the uninterrupted sleep that she could get.

Ezra finally noticed his former student standing near the entrance. He lifted the corner of his mouth in a slight smile but didn't say anything so that he didn't wake Aria.

Spencer returned the gesture while weighing her options in her mind. She could wait another hour and risk getting grounded for life when she returned home. She could wake Aria up so that she could take her home where she would be plagued with nightmares. She could leave Aria and take a bus home so that Aria could drive back whenever she was ready, but then she would have to face questions from her parents and Aria's parents and Emily and Hanna and Alison and anyone else involved. None of them seemed like a very good option.

She could always call Ella Montgomery and tell her where her daughter was. She could tell her the real story about what happened that night and then maybe Ella would approve and not get anyone in trouble. But that would betray Alison who made them promise not to tell about what had really happened. Ali had only been back for a couple of days yet the secrets and the lying had already started. It seemed to Spencer like she should've learned her lesson. The "happy accident" secret was what drove Shana to want to kill Ali. Whatever secret Jessica DiLaurentis was keeping was the reason that she was now dead. Spencer was tired of it all; secrets didn't keep them close, they tore them apart.

"Do you need to leave, Spencer?" Ezra asked quietly, pulling Spencer out of her thoughts.

"Well it's getting late and our parents don't know where we are."

Ezra nodded somewhat disappointed that Aria had to leave. He was about to wake her up when Spencer quickly shook her head. He stopped and raised one eyebrow.

"She needs sleep. Not the sleep that she gets at home when nightmares cause her to wake up every thirty minutes. She needs the sleep that she's getting now without any memories of that night and Shana."

Now Ezra was confused. What was Spencer saying that she wanted him to do? "Why don't you just call your parents?"

Spencer came a little closer so that they could talk quieter and hopefully keep Aria asleep. "Because Ali made up a story about what happened that night and our parents don't know. They don't know that we were any way connected to you. They think you just got shot randomly and it happened to be the night that we were here as well. There's no way either of our parents would let us be here without knowing the real reason. And Aria's mom still thinks that she hates you."

Ezra nodded slightly, understanding Spencer's dilemma. "Can't one of the girls cover you?"

Spencer shook her head again. "Hanna said that her mom is making her stay home and give the DiLaurentis family some space. Emily is too busy worrying about Alison to think about anyone else. And Ali's got enough on her plate with everything that happened earlier today."

"What happened earlier today?" he thought back and Aria hadn't mentioned anything about Ali's family or what the crisis earlier had been about.

"They found Jessica. She had been missing since we returned."

"Oh. It's good they found her."

Spencer shook her head. "You don't understand. They found her body."

This news sent Ezra's mind spinning, much like it had done to Aria. He thought about Ali just returning home to find a dead mother. That would be awful.

"I don't know what to do." Spencer finally admitted.

Ezra looked over at the sleeping form of Aria. He couldn't deny that she looked content and calm which were two things that Aria probably hadn't experienced in a while. Spencer was right when she said that Aria needed sleep. There were bags under her eyes that proved it. "Could you call Ella? Just explain the situation a little bit but without contradicting whatever else Ali made you say."

After thinking it over for a while, Spencer decided that she would risk Ali's anger if it meant that Aria was going to be safe and that she could wake up in the arms of the person that she loved the most.

"I'm just going to tell her what really happened. I don't care if Ali's mad as long as Aria's okay." She announced quietly.

Ezra looked concerned. "Are you sure? I mean, you don't have to. I'll be home in a couple of days so it's not that big of a deal if you want to take her and go."

What he had said was true. He was returning home in a couple of days, but Spencer had already made up her mind. She wasn't going to let Ali push her around anymore, and she sure as heck wouldn't let Aria get hurt because of her. Spencer wasn't going to keep her secrets anymore.

Spencer stood up resolutely and exited the room, pulling out her phone and finding the number she needed. She hit the green call button and waiting as it rung a couple of times, pacing the hallway as she did so.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Montgomery. Hi."

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**I know this was all from Spencer's point of view, but it provided a different way for Ezria to be seen. It showed how they looked to other people so I thought that it would work. Please review and tell me what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Forgive? Possibly. Forget? Never. **

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**This is based on the Season Five premiere so if you haven't seen the episode it might contain a few spoilers. **

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"Spencer, how can I help you?" Ella Montgomery's first response when Spencer Hastings called her was fear. Why else would her teenage daughter's friend call if something wasn't going on with Aria? It surely wasn't just to chat about the weather.

"I need to tell you something. I also need you to keep this between us. Please. And until you agree to that I can't tell you what I need to tell you." Spencer said, still steeling herself for this conversation. If she could define what a strange phone call was, she'd use this one as an example.

From the other end of the phone, Ella slightly chewed on her lip. She could get into a lot of trouble with the question that she was just asked. "But if it in any way puts someone in danger, it would be my responsibility to tell." Ella spoke somewhat slowly, her teacher side starting to show.

"Mrs. Montgomery, I need you to trust me. You can't tell anyone. If you have questions, I'm sure Aria can answer them when she gets back." Spencer hit her forehead after she realized what she had just said and she already knew what Ella's next question would be.

"Where is Aria? I thought you girls were at Hanna's."

Spencer was already out on a limb and there was no way back so she didn't try to make up an excuse. "We're not. But before I can tell you where we are, I need to tell you a story. And before I can tell you a story, I need you to promise not to say anything. To anyone."

Ella sighed, not wanting to agree but knowing that it was necessary to find out her daughter's whereabouts. "I promise. But I do expect a really good story as well as an open conversation with Aria."

Now that that was done, Spencer just had to find a way to tell her story without giving too much away about A or that involvement. Sure Shana was dead, but Spencer had a feeling that they weren't done with A. "And I have one other thing that I need you to promise as well."

The English teacher let out a long breath, already knowing that she most likely would not like this story and from the tone of Spencer's voice she figured that it might not have that happy of an ending. "What is it?"

"Don't get mad at Aria. You have no idea how much she's been through."  
Ella laughed slightly but there was no humor in it. "That's what concerns me."

Spencer took a deep breath, preparing herself for what was coming next. She swore that once this was over Aria would owe her big time. "We kind of all lied to you big time about that night in New York."

Somehow, that really didn't surprise Mrs. Montgomery. She could tell by looking in Aria's eyes that something else had happened. "Go on."

"I'm just going to tell it straight so please hear me out." Here went nothing. "Okay so we went to New York to meet Ali. She was telling us about what happened that night that she went missing, but what she said is irrelevant. We were in a restaurant and then we heard something. We went downstairs and then someone shot the window and it shattered. We ran upstairs and locked ourselves in a room but the black covered person shot the lock and came in so we went to the fire escape. Then we were on the roof.

"There was no way off. Emily thought about jumping but it was insane and we would have died. But we were about to die anyway because the black-clad figure was pointing her gun at us. That's when Mr. Fitz came in. He-"

She was cut off as Ella asked a question. "Ezra was there? Why?"

"He came onto the roof just before the other person did."

"Why?" Ella's mind was reeling. What Spencer was now telling her was the polar opposite of what Aria had said.

"We think he was following the person because he knew that she wanted to hurt Ali. The gun was pointed at us and she was about to shoot and we about to die and then Ezra jumped in. They fought and eventually Ezra knocked her over and she dropped the gun and then Hanna grabbed it but in the process Ezra got shot, which is why he's in the hospital."

"Slow down a little Spencer. Take a breath."

She did as obeyed and then continued. "That's the gist of it. Well, not all but what you need to know for this story. But the point being that Ezra risked his life for us. Well it was actually more for Aria than any of us, but he still almost died saving us. Without him Ali would have been dead and most likely the rest of us too."

Spencer paused, waiting for Mrs. Montgomery to say something, but Mrs. Montgomery didn't know what to say. She hadn't known that they were anywhere near the roof that night. She certainly didn't know that her daughter had almost gotten shot. Spencer's 'story' had left her speechless.

Hearing this and getting slightly worried, Spencer continued. "I don't know exactly how much you know concerning what went on between Aria and Ezra, but he really is sorry for what happened, and he almost died to prove it."

"Where's Aria?" the stunned mother asked. Someone wanted to kill Ali and they were willing to kill anyone else who got in the way. If it weren't for Ezra she would have lost her little girl.

"Aria and I are in New York. She's asleep in his arms right now." Spencer quickly went on before Ella could object. "I know we were supposed to stay in Rosewood, but Aria is sleeping peacefully for the first time since that night. Her nights have been riddled with nightmare after nightmare and she's finally getting some sleep. I would apologize for bringing her here, but she needs it so I don't."

"How long have you been there?"

"Since this afternoon."

Mrs. Montgomery had a lot of things going through her head at that point: worry for Aria, gratitude for Ezra, concern about the person who shot him, anger at the lies, and the list could go on.

Ella slowly sat down on the couch to process things a little better. Aria was in New York asleep in the arms of the person who had broke her heart only a week or two ago. She had seen how devastated and hurt Aria was because of him, and now she snuck out to see him. But he had saved her life for which she would be eternally grateful. "Can I talk to him?"

Spencer hadn't seen that coming. "You're not going to yell at me for bringing her here? It's ok, I can take it. Really. I'm used to yelling actually; it's happened quite a bit lately at my house."

"I'm not going to yell at you, Spencer. That is your parent's responsibility when they deem it necessary. But I still want to talk to him."

Still Spencer was hesitant but finally she agreed. "Alright, I'll go give him my phone." She made her way through the wide hospital hallways. During the conversation she had wandered without giving any thought to where she was going and now she was lost. "It'll be a minute. I have to find my way back there."

"While you are will you tell me what happened after that? I heard about that girl dying that used to live here. Is there any connection?"

Spencer raised her eyebrows, surprised that she didn't know Shana's name as it had been all over every newspaper and news station in Rosewood. "Shana was the one on the roof. She was the one that shot Ezra. She hated Ali for something that happened to someone she loved. She was going to kill her and all of us. Had Aria not been there we would all have died, but you already know that part."

The more Spencer talked, the more Ella got absolutely scared out of her mind. As a parent, her primary goal was to keep her children safe. Yet in a single night her daughter and her friends had almost been killed twice. That didn't seem like very good parenting to her. "Thanks for telling me, Spencer. And thank you for caring so much about Aria."

"Aria would do the same for me in a heartbeat. We're team Sparia."

"What do you mean by that?" Ella hadn't heard that term used before.

Spencer smiled slightly, "Nothing. I'm here now just let me get him." She stepped inside to find them in the same position as they had been when she had left. "Mr. Fitz, she wants to talk to you."

His eyebrows shot up and he looked like a deer in the headlights for a moment. "Is it her mom?"

Spencer nodded and handed the phone to him. He looked completely terrified as he lifted the phone to his ear and said hello. Spencer then stepped back out of the room. Her work here was done.

In the waiting area Noel was watching some football game on his phone and Wesley was gone. She slumped into an orange chair and thought about what had just happened. She had disobeyed Alison DiLaurentis. For the first time in forever, she hadn't let Ali control her life. And it felt good.

"That must have been awkward." Noel commented after a minute.

"Tell me about it."

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**Okay, I don't know if you know, but it is extremely difficult to write a conversation between a liar and a different liar's mom. It's just a different dynamic and something that isn't seen on the show that often. I know this chapter didn't have Ezria but the next one will. Please continue to review; that's really what makes this story worth writing:)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Forgive? Possibly. Forget? Never. **

** This is based off of the Season Five premiere so if you haven't seen that episode this might contain a few spoilers.**

_Aria stood at the base of a mountain. She had to tilt her head back before she could see the top of it. And she knew she had to go there, but she hadn't the slightest clue as to why or how. _

_ She took a step forward and then another until she was on a trail that led up. She continued on it, beginning the seemingly endless journey to her unknown destination. Though the prospect of surmounting the task in front of her was daunting, she wasn't scared. For some reason, she felt safe._

_ Aria looked around and as she did so she noticed a car parked in the nearby shrubs. When she looked closer she could see her father in the back, hungrily kissing his student that Aria now knew to be Meredith. She wanted to go closer but her feet couldn't leave the trail. There was only one way to go: forward. The path ahead was steeper. When it got to the point that she was slowing down for lack of energy, Aria was joined by Mike. Together they moved on, using each other as support._

_ Slowly things leveled out, but only a short while after they did Aria saw another obstacle to the side of the trail. She saw her dad talking on the phone while flipping pancakes while checking the calendar, somehow trying to manage being a single parent. Mike seemed to notice it to and he gave his arm to his older sister for support._

_ They pushed on together until Aria saw Mike to the side breaking into Emily's garage and then Garrett's apartment and then Jason's house. At this point she was the one helping Mike along. Soon they were joined by Ella and Byron. As a family they moved on._

_ To the left Aria saw a faceless person who she knew instantly to be A. The trail got even steeper and her family was able to walk with her, but they couldn't help. That's when Spencer, Hanna, and Emily joined the party. The girls relied on each other, but they kept moving. They always kept moving. _

_ In this manner they advanced up the mountain. With each scenario Aria saw playing out along the side of the way, the trail got steeper. At different times different people were there to help her, to encourage her and give her motivation to move on. New people joined the mix such as Holden, Jake, and Wesley who each took their turn helping Aria progress. _

_ Together they went on, moving past every difficulty that life had ever thrown at her. Whenever it got too hard for her to do by herself, someone was there offering an arm or a shoulder to lean against. _

_ Then they got to a point where the trail got incredibly difficult as Aria looked over and saw herself and Ezra on the ski lift. She kept walking despite how impossible it seemed. Spencer, Hanna, and Emily went with her but the rest stayed at the bottom where the trail didn't look like it was made for mountain goats. _

_ The progress they made was slower but they did it. For a brief moment Riley was there, but he could only go with them for a moment. Soon they reached the final stretch. Aria looked over at her friends who had stopped a little behind. They looked sorry but Aria knew that from here on out, she was on her own. _

_ She was able to go for a while, her lungs burning and her legs aching from the uphill climb. When she looked back she couldn't find anyone. She was alone. _

_ The wind whipped her dark brown hair around her eyes and it was a constant struggle to keep it out of her face. Everything about her hurt from her toes to her head. And when she looked to the left she realized why. _

_ Laying in a meadow of green grass was Shana. Her lifeless body was completely still except for the slight movement of her hair. Aria saw a family standing near her, holding onto each other. The father looked haggard as he looked down on his little girl who would never hug him around the neck or wish him happy father's day. The mother had tears streaming down her cheeks, clutching onto her husband's arm. Just looking into the children's eyes was enough to break Aria's heart. _

_ She finally tore her gaze from the dreadful scene and looked up. She was almost there. Almost to whatever destination she needed to be at. There was no way that she could make it up this last stretch, not by herself. She would be stuck at the bottom with a perfect view of the grieving family for the rest of her life. It terrified her._

_ Overhead the sky was overcast and grey. There would likely be a storm coming, and storms had always scared Aria. Everything that she had conquered thus far was for nothing; there was no way that she could make it. _

_ But that's when she saw someone approaching from a ways off. It was a man silhouetted against the light sky. He walked slowly towards her, seeming confident and sure yet gentle and caring. _

_ She watched carefully as he got closer and soon enough he was just a few feet ahead. Ezra Fitz offered a hand and studied her with solemn blue eyes. Aria glanced back and forth between him and Shana, knowing that the only way she was going to get over this was with him. He was the one person who could help her reach wherever she was going._

_ As soon as she took his hand, she received the strength and comfort that had slowly diminished themselves as she made the trek upwards. Her hope was renewed and her energy was replenished. _

_ The path ahead was still daunting but he offered a slight smile, reassuring her that it would be okay. Together they started again, giving everything they had into their journey forward. It was by no means easy, but it was possible. _

_ They pressed on until Aria could no longer see Shana or anything else. Everything was behind her and she became a stronger person because of it. _

_ They had temporarily paused at the top of a plateau. They hadn't as of yet reached the destination, but they had made progress. Together. _

_ She looked over at the man who held her hand. He leaned over and kissed her forehead then whispered in her ear, "We'll get there."_

_ Aria looked at the road ahead. There were still so many things that they still had to go, but the prospect wasn't as intimidating anymore. She could do it. No, scratch that. They could do it._

For the first time since that night, Aria woke up perfectly content and at peace. She didn't bolt up and scream. She didn't have tears running down her cheeks. She didn't feel like she had been run over by thirty-seven diesel trucks. She felt safe.

Even before she opened her eyes she could tell where she was. In Ezra's arms. Nothing else had the capability of soothing her troubled nerves than he did. She didn't know exactly how long she had slept but she figured it had to have been a while.

After a moment she finally registered that Ezra was talking to someone. His voice was a little cautious which made Aria smile slightly. It was nice to see him a little shaken up.

"No, you really don't have to thank me. I did it because I love her, not because I was trying to impress anyone."

Whoever was on the other end of the phone, presumably a woman, said something. Aria soon realized that it was her mother.

"There's nothing I wouldn't do for her. I know that you haven't always been my biggest fan but I hope you know that. I won't let anything happen to Aria."

Across the line, Ella said something else that Aria still couldn't make out.

"So what are you saying? You want her to come home or you want her to stay here?" Ezra really didn't get women sometimes. They contradicted themselves and left the men to interpret what their real meaning was.

Aria stayed still like she was still asleep, curious about where this conversation would go.

"She's sleeping right now."

Ella said something else.

"I'd rather not wake her up."

Again Aria's mom said something.

"I promise Ella. I wouldn't dream of hurting your daughter. She means too much to me."

Aria couldn't help smiling at his last comment. Instinctively she leaned up and kissed his cheek then laid her head on his shoulder again.

"I can tell Spencer." He said. "I understand that you're worried about her, but I promise that I will keep her safe."

Ella said something else that sounded like a question and Aria rolled her eyes. She wished that her mom could just let him rest.

"All that matters to me is that she's okay." Then after a second they wrapped the conversation up and he hit the red end button, taking a deep breath as he did.

"Hey, you're awake." He said, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear.

"Yeah. Thank you, Ezra."

"For what?"

Aria had so many things that she could thank him for, but she settled with one. "For loving me so much."

**And that's chapter eight! There will be one more chapter and then an epilogue which will both be posted tomorrow, hopefully. I want to get this whole story finished by the time that the second episode comes out. Thank you for your reviews. They really mean so much! Please tell me what you think about this chapter and if you have anything that you want to see in the next chapter/epilogue. I'm open to suggestions:) **


	9. Chapter 9

**Forgive? Possibly. Forget? Never**

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**This is based on the Season Five premiere so if you haven't seen the episode it might contain a few spoilers. This is last chapter and then there is an epilogue after this so enjoy!**

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"So you get to go home in two days?" Aria asked as she sat on the edge of Ezra's hospital bed. She was lacing up her boots and pulling her jacket on. Spencer had left the day before and now Noel would be driving her back to Rosewood.

"Yeah. Wesley's going to drive me back." He was absentmindedly playing with her hair that she had hastily put into a ponytail.

"What are you going to do for a job? Can you talk to Hackett and undo your leave of absence?" She sat up straight once she had finished with her boots and turned so that she was more squarely facing him.

He thought for a moment and then answered with another question. "Do you want me to come back, Aria? If I remember correctly you wanted me to completely leave Rosewood."

Aria thought back to the conversation that they had in his apartment when she had gotten back from New York. It was actually Riley who told her that he should be the one to leave and not her. And at the time, she agreed with him. But after everything that had happened she certainly didn't want him to leave. She never wanted to almost lose him again. "We have a lot to talk about, but I'd rather we don't do it here. Let's just talk later when you're better. And I'm leaving in a minute."

Ezra nodded. "Don't remind me. I wish you could stay."

Aria smiled slightly. "I know, I wish I could too." She gave him a quick kiss. "But I can't."

If their relationship wasn't up in the air at the current moment, he would have pulled her in for another one but he didn't want to pressure her. Once he got out of the hospital gown thing he was wearing, Aria would stop feeling sorry for him and remember all of the feelings that had driven her to destroy his apartment. After that happened things would become a whole lot more complicated, but he wouldn't let her go. He'd made that mistake before.

"Do you need anything before you go?"

"Nope. I'm good." She replied, making sure that she had everything that she had brought.

"Are you sure?"

"Actually," Aria grabbed his hands, "can you call me? Especially at night right before I go to bed?"

Ezra smiled. "It would be my pleasure."

"Thank you. So much. It just makes it so much easier to sleep when I'm with you and even hearing your voice could help chase away the nightmares." Aria admitted. She didn't meet his eyes, a little embarrassed at how weak that made her sound.

He reached up and raised her chin so that she was looking at him. "Aria, you're beautiful and you're intelligent and you're kind and you're caring and you're so incredibly strong. You don't have anything to be embarrassed about."

"Thank you, Ezra. You have no idea how much this trip has meant to me."

"I'm always here for you, Aria. Always," He kissed her forehead and then she stood up to leave.

Noel appeared in the doorway. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah. Bye, Ezra."

Aria followed Noel out the door, glancing back only once to see him watching her intently. When she gave him a questioning look, he only softly smiled and then she had to turn back forward before she ran into the wall in front of her.

Ezra smiled as she did so, completely in love with all of the little things that she did. He still couldn't understand how someone so amazing and loving and compassionate could ever love him. But she was his, and he would spend the rest of his life thanking her for the numerous second chances that she had given him.

It was late afternoon when Noel pulled up to the Montgomery's front door. The ride hadn't been as awkward as Aria expected it to be; Noel could be a great conversationalist when he tried.

"Thank you, Noel. For the ride and for everything you've done this past week." Aria said as she climbed out of the passenger door, preparing to shut it and go inside. Something about Noel was different than the previous times that they had encountered. He seemed more mature and like he actually cared.

"It's really no problem. I'll be interested to see how Ali reacts when she finds out that you gave up her lie." He seemed genuinely curious, and so was Aria.

It would be interesting to watch how their friendship played out over the next couple of weeks. Ali would have so much to catch up on and then there was everything that had gone on with her family. From what Aria had heard, Hanna wasn't exactly sure how to react to Ali being back. Spencer told her that Hanna didn't want to be the 'it' girl with fancy clothes anymore because that was Ali, not her. She had been living a lie ever sense Ali had disappeared. Emily would have to maneuver her relationship with Paige and learn how to stay out of Ali's numerous traps that she laid to make people seem important. And Spencer was still getting back trust after the whole pill incident.

"Yeah, things will definitely be different. Thanks again. See you at school," She grabbed her bag and walked up her sidewalk until she was on her porch.

Aria was a little hesitant to open the door; she wasn't sure what she would find on the other side. Her dad would most likely be at Hollis already so she wouldn't have to deal with him. Her mom was probably sitting on the couch ready to chew her head off.

There was no time like the present so Aria took a deep breath and pushed open the door. Even though it was the exact same house that she had left the day before, something felt different.

Like she had suspected, Ella was sitting on the chair in the living room. As soon as she heard the door open she was on her feet. Aria walked in and slung her bag onto the table near the entrance.

"You're okay." Ella smiled as she enveloped her daughter in her arms. Ever since she had received that call from Spencer she had wanted to do that. "Though the truth terrified me, I still want to tell you how proud I am of you. You're so incredibly strong. I'm sorry that I wasn't someone that you could come to with your problems. If I had been here for you then I could have helped you."

Aria laid her head on her mother's shoulders. She hadn't quite processed that her mom was back from Europe, but she was so happy that she was. There was something about a mother's embrace that was different than a lover's embrace. "It's not your fault."

"But I still feel bad, Aria. You and Mike needed me here."

"It's okay really. I love you."

"I love you too."

The mother-daughter bonding moment was broken by the ringing of Ella's cell phone. "I better take that but I'll be up to talk to you in a moment."

Aria nodded. "I'm going to go get changed." When Spencer and Aria had left the day before, Aria didn't know that she would end up spending the night in the chair next to his bed and consequently didn't bring a change of clothes. She couldn't wait to get out of her fancy clothes and into sweats and a t-shirt.

Ella picked up the phone and smiled slightly as she began a conversation. Aria trekked up the stairs to her room, pausing to look down at her mom who was talking on the phone, using elaborate hand gestures even though no one was there to see them. Aria smiled and then entered her bedroom.

On her nightstand there was still the picture of her and Ezra. She never had the heart to take it off of there. Even after everything that had happened with the ski lift and things, she never wanted to actually believe that they were over.

She walked over to it and picked it up, looking it over. It was by far her favorite picture; they both looked so happy.

"Aria?"

She set it down again and turned to face her little brother. "Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you?" he seemed a little nervous.

"Of course." She motioned to the bed and he went and sat on the edge of it.

"Mom told me what happened."

Aria's eyes widened. Her mom had promised that she wouldn't tell anyone.

"I sort of overheard most of their conversation." He sheepishly admitted. "But I just wanted to tell you that someday I hope to love someone as much as you love Mr. Fitz. I'm sorry for ever doubting you or believing rumors or not sticking up for you."

"Thank you, Mike."

"And will you tell him that I'm sorry for punching him? I never actually apologized for that."

Aria smiled, thinking back to that day when Ezra had first told her parents about their relationship. "Yeah, I'll tell him."

Mike stood up. "Next time you almost die, can I at least come with you? It's not fair that you get to have all the fun."

"Yeah, I'll make sure to invite you next time we almost get our heads blown off."

Mike smiled. "I've got to go to lacrosse practice, so see you later."

Aria watched as he left. Life was by no means perfect, but at least she had people who would always be there for her. Like her dream, there were always people in her life that would help her through anything and everything. She laid back on her bed and smiled. Everything was going to be okay.

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**The end except for the epilogue. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your continued support and reviews. I'll be uploading a new one soon so maybe check it out?**


	10. Epilogue

**Forgive? Possibly. Forget? Never. –Epilogue**

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**This is going to wrap up this story for good. I hope you enjoy!**

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Aria knocked on the door to apartment 3B. Normally he answered the door within thirty seconds but this time he hadn't. She set down the grocery bags that she was carrying on the floor and pulled out the key that had a permanent residence on her key ring.

She opened the door and instantly heard why Ezra hadn't answered. The bathroom door was shut and the shower water running. She glanced at the clock on the oven and saw that she was almost half an hour early for the breakfast that he had invited her to. Apparently shopping for the fruits and milk wasn't as time-consuming as she anticipated it to be.

Aria set her keys and phone on his small dining table before moving to the fridge and placing the items in it. She didn't want to disturb his shower so she sat on the couch waiting.

His apartment was a little bit barer than it had previously been, and she was the one to blame. Many of his posters and lamps and glass frames had been broken on the day when she was on her little rampage. He had taped some of the posters back together, but no amount of duct tape could have fixed the tiny shards of glass from the lamp.

In a way, she felt bad for flying off of the handle, but at the same time she didn't. He deserved it completely.

It had been almost four weeks since the incident on the roof. Since then, they had taken the time and really talked the whole situation out. It took a while, but Aria eventually forgave him. They were still a little tentative as they were just regaining their footing, but it was getting there.

The shower water shut off and a minute later he stepped out of the door, dressed only in his pajama pants. Aria instantly stood up which startled Ezra. Aria didn't notice that though. She walked slowly towards him.

Ezra saw where she was looking and quickly grabbed for his shirt that he had left on his bed. He started to pull it on but Aria gently took it from him and set it back down on the back of the couch. "You're early." Ezra commented nervously.

Aria didn't respond. Ezra had been adamant about not showing her his abdomen. He didn't want her feeling bad for him or feeling guilty so his shirt had always stayed down. Slowly she reached out and touched the scar that the bullet had left in his side.

He shivered as her hand softly traced the incision lines that the doctor had made during surgery. She instinctively drew her hand back as he quivered. "Did that hurt? I'm sorry."

He shook his head, his wet hair flinging small drops of water into her face. "Aria, I wasn't going to show you that."

She looked up him with her large, hazel eyes full of admiration and gratitude. "I know. But now I have."

"Can I put my shirt on now?" He asked, slightly rolling his eyes.

Aria reached over and handed him the old college tee that she had stolen from him.

He took it and slid it on over the wound and excused himself to go start breakfast.

Aria sat on the bed and thought about what she had just seen. After a minute of thinking, Aria came to this conclusion: She would be able to forgive him for the book and the lies and the secrets. Those were trivial things. But she could never forget what he had done for her that night on the roof. That night when he sacrificed his life to save hers.

That memory would always be there in the back of her mind, just like that scar would always be on his side. It was a physical representation of his love for her. And it would never go away, just like their love would never go away.

"What are you thinking about over there?" Ezra asked from the stove where he was flipping pancakes.

Aria sighed and went to join him in the kitchen, pulling the apples and oranges out of the fridge to get them ready as well. "Nothing."

He watched her for a minute with a questioning look on his face. Ezra knew that Aria was always thinking about something no matter how hard she tried not to be.

"What?" She asked, looking up from the apples that she was slicing with a sharp kitchen knife.

"You can tell me what you're thinking, Aria."

"And I can also run for president, but I just don't want to." She said with a slight smile, not looking up from the fruit that refused to stay still as she tried to cut it.

Ezra let it go but couldn't help smiling as he watched his girlfriend engage in a war with the inanimate object. Finally he decided that there was no way she was going to win so he stepped in to her rescue, gently taking the knife away from her.

"I was going to get it." She said obstinately with her hand on her hip as she watched him easily slice the apple that was now slightly bruised because of the few times she accidentally let it roll onto the floor.

Ezra smiled again. "And I was going to climb Mount Everest, but it would just take too long."

"Well played, Mr. Fitz. Well played." Aria admitted, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for the kiss that they hadn't had in months.

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**Well, that's that. Thank you for all the support that you have given me and I hope you liked it. I'm posting a new story tomorrow sometime so please look out for it:)**


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